Made It — Sort Of

Cycling Files 004

On the cycle path that connects Nordsternpark and Zollverein, two defunct coal mines in the area. Essen, Germany, August 6, 2023.

The last few cycling weeks have handed me relaxed, rainy, and hilly rides. And the photo backpack returned as I prepared to reunite with an old friend before it was too late.

Despite the pleasures of cycling more than in a long time, I am discovering new worries.

Adapting — Hopefully

The aftermath of the first ride with a photo backpack caused a relaxed start to the week. My neck was unhappy, and so were my hamstrings.

It was nothing major, just a bit of tightness. The positive news: setback trial and error solved the leg problem.

I used two shorter rides to dial those optimizations in. The legs responded as I had hoped. And the neck seemed to play ball.

I’ve shared the photography related to that week, but I picked a few samples for these lines again.

It’s hard to believe I feared getting bombarded with raindrops only minutes before I stopped for my first Coolpix trials. And first trials excuse why the first picture below is a file from my GoPro. The center-weighted metering I played with (one of the few ways the small device allows influence in its picture-making decisions) wasn’t happy with the bright lighting conditions. And I was too focused on cycling to notice why.

The following morning was calmer. I found surprisingly rural and quiet streets in the city’s north. However, I imagine the early weekend hour played a role in me not having to share them with too many cars.

The Emscher view (second image) was worth the effort. And I felt perfectly comfortable on the bike and smiled on my way back into the city.

I took those signals as positive signs and planned a longer ride. My body seemed to accept the position. I felt at home. Except for a bit of fatigue on the inside of my right knee that came and went and never bothered me, I didn’t notice any signs of bodily discomfort.

Good signs indeed for a ride that lasted almost two-and-a-half hours at the end of three days of cycling. A solid week.

Left Dark clouds a few minutes earlier made me fear a heavy shower. But when I reached the Emscher bridge, this sunny scene awaited. Bottrop, Germany, August 4, 2023. Center The Emscher is slowly being renaturated across the region. Dinslaken, Germany, August 5, 2023. Right 6:50 on a Sunday morning was not too early for the cleaning crews around the soccer stadium, but traffic was calm. Here, I caught one of the few passing cars while noticing an umbrella someone had left behind. Gelsenkirchen, Germany, August 6, 2023.

Left A scene from the relaxed ride from the stadium to Nordsternpark. Gelsenkirchen, Germany, August 6, 2023. Center The statue Hercules stands on the roof of the defunct winding tower at Nordsternpark. Gelsenkirchen, Germany, August 6, 2023. Right Instead of continuing farther south to Zollverein, I exited the cycle path from Nordsternpark and turned west again via a gravelly section that the rain had turned a bit muddier than hoped. Essen, Germany, August 6, 2023.

Another Shot — Made It

The following week began late once again. It wasn’t the legs. It wasn’t even the neck. But I started feeling it again a day after the long ride. At least, it was milder than before.

The weather was suboptimal. A busy writing schedule sapped my enthusiasm.

But I had my eyes set on a special longer ride now that my legs had returned to a decent level of happiness. In preparation for the longest ride to date, I used a route along the banks of the river Rhine to see if my body was still in agreement with my plans.

It was, despite the wind and rain.

There was no rain forecast for the night. It was supposed to drizzle a bit around 7 a.m. I was annoyed when the street was dripping wet when I poked my head out the door a few minutes after 5 o’clock.

Half an hour later, it started raining — a lot. And it didn’t stop for the next 40 minutes.

I was soaked when I arrived at the viewpoint pictured below. But the rain had stopped just in time. Splendid.

I’ll share more details about that old friend in tomorrow’s Fun With Cameras. The ride was a wonderful affair, lasting more than three hours.

I am continuously surprised by how hilly this area can be. 645 meters (2,100 ft) of elevation gain on a 68.8 (42.7 mi) kilometer course — most of it in the first 40 km (25 mi). It sometimes felt like they constructed a downhill segment for the sole purpose of adding another hilly part.

I wanted to keep the ride relaxed, so it took me longer to make progress.

But I enjoyed every moment, despite cursing my early water intake more than once. And I felt comfortable on the bike from start to finish. I’ve selected a few teasers for tomorrow’s post below.

Left and right A foggy morning panorama from the waste tip Alsumer Berg. Duisburg, Germany, August 12, 2023.

Left Pre-sunrise view over the motorway A40 with the broadcast tower in the background. Essen, Germany, August 13, 2023. Center and right An architectural detail from the ride to an old friend. Bochum, Germany, August 13, 2023.

Left and right The GoPro misfired, robbing me of pictures from the scenic cyclepath along the Ruhr. I still captured an idea of what my eyes saw on the way back from Bochum. Essen, Germany, August 13, 2023.

Beautiful Beginnings, Cramped Conclusion

This past week has presented morning skies worth falling out of bed early.

The first picture below is one of two images from Monday morning. The second one will follow in tomorrow’s post. The ride was relaxed. I just wanted to spin the legs after the long ride and start the week right. Mission accomplished.

The neck spoke to me again, and I decided to rest more than the one day I had planned.

I returned for a hillier ride on Friday. The downside to catching those lovely sunrise and pre-sunrise skies is that the rides begin in darkness. And the state of the cycling infrastructure around here makes that sometimes a less than pleasant experience.

I picked a calm and flat route for Saturday, visiting the sculpture Rheinorange. It was a warm and humid morning. 21 C at 5 a.m. already. The warmth withstanding, I enjoyed a ride on the faster side and still felt at home on the bike.

Left Pre-sunrise skies over the inner harbor. Duisburg, Germany, August 14, 2023. Right Nature’s beauty stared at me from behind, so I stopped a little earlier than planned to capture the pre-sunrise sky near Rheinorange. Duisburg, Germany, August 19, 2023.

Left The statue Rheinorange. Duisburg, Germany, August 19, 2023. Right Low light is the Coolpix’s Achilles heel, but I still tried to capture the calm beauty around me. Duisburg, Germany, August 19, 2023.

There’s bad news I’m sad to report.

The neck discomfort continues and now includes headaches.

I have a few ideas to explore before throwing the towel. I’ll report on how I fare with those next time.

I’m not quite sure what the next few weeks will bring. I might have to accept that I can’t find the sweet spot on my own.

But the sliver of hope in that complicated cycling journey of mine is that my legs feel wonderful, which slowly begins to tickle my running nerves again.

To be continued.

As I’ve shared above, you can expect a new Fun With Cameras episode tomorrow. And next week, I’ll share new reading recommendations and write about my first travel experience in Ghana.